Newark Earthworks Center's Blog: Clues From Ancient Maya Reveal Lasting Impact on Environment

Monday, September 21, 2015

Clues From Ancient Maya Reveal Lasting Impact on Environment

Professor Tim Beach and Professor Sheryl Luzzader-Beach
in the tropical lowlands of Central America.
Image Courtesy of Tim Beach, and The University of Texas at Austin.

September, 3, 2015.

Rachel Griess, of The University of Texas at Austin, has written an interesting article about how the Maya culture of Central America altered their environment which still as lasting implications for today.

"While some studies suggest that deforestation and other land use contributed to warming and drying of the regional climate by the Classic Period (1700-1100 years ago), many existing forests are still influenced by Maya activities, with many structures, terraces and wetlands still existing today, researchers said."

-Rachel Griess, The University of Texas at Austin.

To read the full article, click here.

For more information,

Visit:

Ancient Maya impacts on the Earth's surface: An Early Anthropocene analog? (PDF available)

Tim Beach, Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach, Duncan Cook, Nicholas Dunning, Douglas J. Kennett, Samantha Krause, Richard Terry, Debora Trein, Fred Valdez. Quaternary Science Reviews. Volume 124. September 2015. Pages 1-30.